Hayward approved a massive data center. Then it rewrote the rules

Hayward approved a 76.6 MW hyperscale data centre in May 2025, then rewrote its planning code in response to community pushback and environmental concerns, requiring projects over 50 MW to go through formal city council approval rather than administrative processing. Bay Area cities are now rushing to establish stricter data centre regulations or moratoriums as 71% of Americans oppose such facilities in their areas.

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